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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had shown the need for a distinct game identity.

The president stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the full content from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to mind and reimagined the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, he starts with us on next week.

Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most popular franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving Ben soon. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. At the time, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, risks, and challenges that evolve every match. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, risk it all, and pray your team can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

The game does not have an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect additional details as development continues.